Life Beyond Death
by JaseyRaeParker
Summary: The scenery around us began to change from an alleyway to a dark haven with a gate.The gate bared no signs marking what lay behind its great iron wall. Here I felt out of place, yet something beyond the twisted metal called to me, making my heart quickend
1. Prologue

The word death is defined as "the ending of all vital functions or processes in an organism or cell", but you see the definition of death really is a new life, a chance to fulfill things that could not be done when you were placed on earth as a human. For many centuries humans have tried to escape death for they feared the afterlife, but the truth is you cannot escape death. Death, it takes everyone. The young, the old, the new and the aged. It does not discriminate against race, color, or culture. It takes the sick and healthy and no matter what, we all must face it. Even I had to face death, but there was no hope for me. No heaven to call my own and no hell to curse just, nothingness and then I was chosen.

You see in the beginning it was said that Lucifer was an angel of the Lord, but was jealous of the power that God had, so he decided he needed his own kingdom to rule, to control. He despised God for when he presented the idea to God, he had said no, and all that hate and anger grew and grew until one day God banished Lucifer to the farthest ends of the universe in which Satin had called hell. I am no angel of the Lord or minion of Satin, but more of a neutral between the both of them. I am known as many names like dark angel and death, but I am most commonly known as the grim reaper.

I wasn't always a reaper; you see I had a life of my own. A family with parents and an older brother but that was taken away from me. I was nineteen years old and my mother and father had been in a car accident, leaving me on my own. I hated the feeling of being alone and after that I was sent with foster parents, separated from my brother. The apartment I lived in with my foster parents was cramped and always smelled of smoke and I decided to take my own life. Suicide, it isn't the answer and as I fell, the lights of the city shined on and the asphalt welcomed me. After I died I met a man who told me his name was Castiel. He was the reaper whose place I would soon fill. He had told me that I was dead and warned me on what I was to become. At first I did not believe him until I was told that I would have a second chance at life.


	2. Chapter One: A Second Chance at Life

~ Life Beyond Death Chapter One ~

At first I did not believe him until I was told that I would have a second chance at life.

I would be able to go back to earth as long as I did not tell a human what I was. I would have a new body so that no one would recognize me and that when a "job" (as I like to call it ;P) would come I would know. Of course I didn't care whether or not I would have to escort the dead to hell or heaven; it was a chance at a new life, one I had longed for quite sometime. So I took the offer as fast as my greedy self could muster and Castiel smiled a wicked smile and disappeared and that is when I awoke. The sun burned my eyes as the darkness seeped away from them and I could feel the fear of my nightmare wash away slowly when I realized it was only my imagination taking a hold. I walked to the bathroom oblivious of my surroundings and flushed my face with cool water to wake me up. "That should do it" I said to myself, my voice sounding smoother that I remembered almost coming out as in tune. I looked at the mirror while wiping the water away from my face and to my horror the face I was so used to seeing was no longer reflecting back at me, instead there stood an angel as pale as the moon staring back. She had the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen compared to my dull green ones and her hair was as black as the midnight sky and it was beautiful compared to my blonde locks. She stared at me, mimicking my every motion. "This cannot be happening" I said aloud looking away from the beautiful girl in the mirror. "Oh, but it is, Iris" the voice had said the name like chimes from behind me. Startled I turned to see a smirking Castiel who now was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. "I have come to show you the life you have been longing for, and the one you will come to despise" he laughed at a some inside joke and that laugh made my stomach turn in knots. Castiel began to walk, first towards the door and out of my apartment. I followed close behind him, like a stray cat, I took each step with hesitation but the curiosity that burned in my chest took a hold and kept my feet moving. I wasn't scared as morbid as it sounds. I was tired of being scared and I wanted this new life whether it meant going through hell and to the ends of the earth to get it. My strides only grew longer as Castiel's pace quickened making it a challenge to keep up. Soon we reached a dark alleyway, the tall brick buildings shadowing the narrow strip of the asphalted dead end. Garbage and their cans were strewn across the alley and you could hear the little feet of rats running from the vibrations of our feet hitting the pavement. My voice was stronger, more confident when I finally decided to speak. "What are we doing here?' I questioned looking directly ahead of me without glancing a peak at the angel beside me. "We are here so that I can teach you something" he answered his face an emotional mask for once. It was then that I heard footfalls. Running footsteps that were coming our way. I didn't know what was happening before it was all over. Gunshots rung out. Each casing falling to the floor with a thud and blood was thick in the air. The footsteps had belonged to a man who must have been in his late thirties. His hair was a greasy charcoal black with the most beady brown eyes I had ever seen. He was dressed like any other person in late October, in a fall jacket and denim jeans that fell across lumber boots. He had chased a young boy around the age of sixteen into the alley way shooting him without hesitation. Now the boy's body lay across the pavement, his brown hair covering his deep sea blue eyes. His t-shirt and black jeans were soaked in his own blood and all I could do was stare. In shock, in confusion, in sorrow. "Now's your chance" whispered Castiel who was at my side, his face still calm after witnessing the fight. My feet began to walk towards the fallen boy and I couldn't stop myself from touching his hand, and like magic his eyes opened and his stare was full of confusion. "See, I knew you had it in you" said Castiel seeming happier than before. The boy began to move getting up, as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't been shot square in the chest. His movements were hesitant and breath colder than ice. "What..?" he began but stopped when he saw his lifeless body strewn across the pavement of the alleyway. "I' m sorry son, but it is time" Castiel said to the boy and soon enough the scenery around us began to change from an alleyway to a dark haven with a gate. The gate bared no signs marking what lay behind its great iron wall. Here I felt out of place, yet something beyond the twist metal called to me, making my heart quicken in my chest. The beats of my heart matched almost perfect to the rhythm of my feet as I inched closer towards the gate, my breath like smoke in the cold air. My hand caressed the iron and it was colder than I thought it would be. Slowly the gate creaked open and the nameless boy advanced towards it without words. As he reached beyond the gate, the grinding noises of the hinges began once again as the gate shut, making it impossible to tell what lay beyond the gate.


	3. Chapter Two: The Gate

~ Life Beyond Death Chapter Two ~

As he reached beyond the gate, the grinding noises of the hinges began once again as the gate shut, making it impossible to tell what lay beyond the gate. Castiel began to walk and soon the great Iron Gate was fading into the distance behind us and once again we were back, standing in the dark and narrow alleyway where it all started. No words were exchanged on the way back home, though I though it was strange that we were walking instead of appearing to the destination Castiel had wish to go. I did not seem to notice as Castiel pulled in front of the apartment I had woken up in, instead my mind was in a state of shock, thinking thoughts that rushed a mile per minute. It was strange being here, in this apartment, though now that I think of it I can't seem to remember anything of my past life and ---- "Of course you can't" said Castiel interrupting my thoughts. I stared at him in confusion. "How did you---" I began only to be once again cut of by his voice. "Your face" was all he said as a reply and "I'm guessing that I was as easy as a book to read." and as I spoke that simple thought aloud I was blinded by something like a daydream, except this one seemed so real. It was of a girl, one that looked like how I use to and she was talking to someone I didn't quite remember. He was tall and his hazel brown hair fell perfectly across his light green eyes. He had said that he could read her like a book as he wiped a tear from the girl's eyes. Just like how it appeared it was gone in a flash and the dream was the only thing that haunted me that night as I lay alone and wide awake.


	4. Chapter Three: Nathaniel

~ Life Beyond Death Chapter Three ~

I awoke my mind alert, but my body still craving sleep. The warmth of my bed called to me as I stretched my aching legs and walked over to the kitchen to get some well deserved coffee. It didn't take long at all till I was sitting on top of my counter peering down into the darkness of my coffee. The bitterness of the hot liquid burned my throat as it ran smoothly down the back of my throat. There was a sharp knock at the door, making my head snap towards the noise. I was still in my night gown as I opened the creaky door and to my surprise it was the boy from my dream. "Hi" he said sheepishly looking down at his feet when he realized what I was wearing. "I- I …. ummm well your new to the complex, and it isn't everyday that someone new comes here, so I thought…. I would come to welcome you" I laughed at his rambling, my presence made him nervous. "Well thank you" I said not knowing where my confidence had come from. "Would you like to come in" I opened the door a little encouraging him to come in. "Sure" he replied with a breathtaking smile. His smile didn't hold things most other smiles held; instead his smile was a crooked grin. It didn't light up his face, nor did it reach his eyes, instead his smile stayed at his perfectly lush lips. His smile was broken and it was the one that I had seen on my face for the past few days into this life. He seemed to notice my hesitation and shuffled uncomfortably under my gaze. "My name is Nathaniel, by the way" he said looking up, his hazel eyes catching a glint of light from the window by the sink. He was beautiful and so perfect. "My name is Iris" I said the name Castiel had called me in the beginning. And just as I had uttered the name, there were two sharp knocks at the door and without another word, Castiel came into the room. He was dressed in a dark navy sweater and black jeans, due to the cold breeze that had pick up outside. Nathaniel's gaze seemed to last a minute or two, as he and Cas (me: for all those supernatural lovers! :}) had a stare down. Thankfully the stare down ended when I felt a tingling sensation in my stomach. Cas' glanced towards me was enough to know the problem and he spoke with an urgency in his voice as he told me about how the "company" needed my assistance. It didn't take long until Cas was pushing my shoulders in a childish way to make me move, causing me to jerk forward due to his strength. "I'm really sorry about this" I told Nathaniel. He followed silently as we walked to the door. Now with his jacked slung casually over his shoulder he push me aside as Cas impatiently paced back and forth as he tried to accomplish the ever so easy task of fitting a key into its hole and locking the door. "Look, I know this sounds completely crazy, but -" I interrupted his rambling. "I bet it's not completely crazy" I had told him, only thinking of what had happened in the past few days. "Just listen" he sighed vigorously and continued "I feel like I've known you, or meet you before" he said his features uncertain at first, then with certainty he said "I have seen you before" And with that he walked away going into his unlocked apartment and shutting the door. "That was interesting" said Cas with a smirk on his face.


End file.
